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Metanomy
"The golden rule is that there are no golden rules." - George Bernard Shaw "Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something." - Thomas Edison "There are no absolute rules of conduct, either in peace or war. Everything depends on circumstances." - Leon Trotsky Metanomy, or metanomia, (pronunciation /mɛ'tæ.nɵ.miː/ or /'mɛ.tə.noʊ.miː.ə/) has been the underlying principle of the map game since Arsinos, having replaced the Arsepull system that ran between Ancient Arsinos and Maps I through VII. Details Due to its complexity metonomy is little-used concept where games are concerned; its most significant use was in Nomic and its derivations, designed by American philosopher Peter Suber. Implementation The map game implements metonomy through the United Nations, which grants players the power to propose, vote on and execute rule changes. In this way the game is self-balancing; when rules are broken, players are able to implement and enforce a change autonomously. The resulting rule system is also self-enforcing, as nations which break laws are often punished by suspension or expulsion from the UN, preventing them from having any input on rule changes until such time as the other players vote to allow them back in. Critical Tenets Out-of-universe there are several critical tenets which need to be maintained in order to uphold the game's metonomy. There is of course no reason these cannot be changed by a United Nations vote - unless blocked by the GMs - but it is generally accepted that changing these would negatively impact the fairness of the game. One Vote Per Player While not entirely fair on countries controlled by the same player and not representative of players' success in the game, this tenet ensures that no player can have a greater say over the game than another. This issue was brought to light when the Arsinos United Nations had issues with DPRSJ managed being by the same player who controlled AAC - said player voted independently with each nation in keeping with past voting patterns, but it revealed a potential for exploit. The Barvos United Nations resolved this issue by declaring that only nations with strong unique Vibes could become full voting members. Loopholes Like many democratic systems, metonomy is open to exploit. It is up to players to ensure the rules are written properly to prevent players from exploiting loopholes in both international law and the game rules. Players finding such loopholes are free to exploit them, but should not expect to be free of consequences should the members of the United Nations as a whole choose to punish them for it. Contrary to what may be expected, exploiting loopholes should not be considered cheating or unfair. The first rule of the game is, effectively, that there are no rules. The United Nations rules by the letter of the law; if it's not explicitly illegal, or if a player can reason a way around a law, they are free to explore their options. Previous Loopholes *'Tenth UNEC Debacle:' An example of bloc-voting in the United Nations Executive Council. No rules were broken and the actions taken were all in-keeping with the events of the period, but many players felt the actions taken were unfair and significant changes were made to the Barvos United Nations Constitution in order to prevent similar issues from arising. Category:Mechanics